We had to know this was happening, right? After Harry Potter's finale was successfully divided into two parts, and Summit doing the same with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, it was painfully clear that Lionsgate would follow the same tract with The Hunger Games. So here we are, with the studio announcing that the final film, Mockingjay, has now been divided.
The first chapter is slated to hit theaters on November 21st 2014, while the finale lands a year later on November 20th. 2015 doesn't seem that far away, but trust me, by the time it gets here we'll all be sick to death of Panem and everybody who inhabits it. And this comes from somebody who adores Suzanne Collins' novels, but they have nothing to do with the media and pop culture firestorm that will continue to rage for the next three years.
We can hardly blame Lionsgate for what they're doing, because it's all about money for them. They know that people get invested in these stories, and nobody is going to miss the final chapter. What's most annoying about this is that Mockingjay is probably the least exciting story of them all. Without giving too much away, Katniss(Jennifer Lawrence) and her two boy toys(Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson) have moved on past the Hunger Games tournaments into a more significant battle. While there's plenty of fighting, the story sags and lacks direction. Plus, it's really not long enough to warrant two movies. They're going to need to do some beefing up of the script to make this split work.
Many of the characters in Mockingjay get their start in Catching Fire, which is still being cast with Jena Malone and Philip Seymour Hoffman the latest additions. Catching Fire hits theaters on November 22nd 2013 with Francis Lawrence directing.
